Deputies arrest man in Siesta crash, reverse-911 alert

Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies, with help from Longboat Key and Sarasota police departments, arrested a man Sunday in connection with an incident that warranted a reverse 911 call to Siesta Key residents.

Dahowd Alyan, 25, of the 2500 block of Wisteria St. in Sarasota, was charged with  leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, driving while license suspended and violation of probation.

Read more: Sarasota Cops Corner

In a release, the sheriff’s department said a man answering the description of Alyan was seen walking away from a head-on crash with a black SUV around 11 a.m. Sunday on Midnight Pass Road.  The white Mazda the man had been driving, which also damaged a fence and gate mechanism off the road, was reported stolen from Sarasota.

According to a probable cause affidavit, a witness saw the driver of the stolen vehicle walk southbound from the crash site.  “She asked if he was okay and he responded with a "ughhh" and continued walking. He appeared to be confused and unable to walk in a steady straight line,’’ the investigating deputy wrote.

The driver of the other vehicle reported minor injuries and was not taken to the hospital. 

Around 1 p.m., after receiving several tips from the public following the telephone alert to residents within two miles of the crash site, deputies took Alyan into custody on foot on Mall Drive in the Gulf Gate area.

The sheriff’s office reported additional charges are possible from Sarasota police in connection with the stolen car.